The rules of the compet.i.tion stated that victors did not need to continue. They could choose to step down and rest, only returning to the platform for the final duel.
Qian Yeli nodded. "In that case, I will leave this duel to Senior Brother Ling." After this, his figure shifted and he drifted down the platform.
The crowds were still deep in discussion. One was at the first stages of the Foundation Building Realm. The other, its Peak. It was a total mismatch. She had better admit defeat.
Ling Yingfeng smiled quietly. "After you, Junior Sister Liu." As he spoke, he gazed over to Xiao Chen either intentionally or unintentionally.
Liu Fenghuang gave a clear shout. She brandished her Immortal"s Sword and hacked at him. Ling Yingfeng lightly flicked at the blade and sent it flying backward. Everyone below gasped. There was no way she could defeat him!
Still, Liu Fenghuang did not give up. Once again, she executed the skills of the Teal Jade Sect. Suddenly from the mid-air came countless sword shadows, like a shower of swords raining on Ling Yingfeng. This was originally the sect"s superior sword skill. Liu Fenghuang did not executely it poorly, but the gap between them was too great. Ling Yingfeng chanted incantations a little and erected a golden barrier around himself. Instantly, those countless sword shadows vanished into nothingness.
After 30 minutes, Liu Fenghuang was utterly breathless and yet she could not hurt Ling Yingfeng even a bit. All the onlookers were wondering to themselves: Ling Yingfeng could have easily defeated her. Why did he only defend and not attack?
Suddenly, at the periphery of the Wind Floating Platform soared light columns into the sky. The light columns were linked by a indistinct light screen. Ling Yingfeng had set up a formation and sealed up the Wind Floating Platform. Right now, no one from the outside could enter, nor could anyone escape from within. Yet the compet.i.tion rules only stipulated a win for the one who threw his opponent down the platform. What did Ling Yingfeng mean by this?
Oh dear! Xiao Chen vaguely detected something and shouted, "Senior Sister Liu! Get off the platform and admit defeat now!" It was too late. Ling Yingfeng streaked like a shadow toward Liu Fenghuang and she could not evade his attack. With a loud boom, she was thrown backward, slamming against the light screen at the edge of the Wind Floating Platform, then bouncing back in.
"Poom!" There was another loud thud. Liu Fenghuang"s belly had been kicked by Ling Yingfeng. Her feeble body flew away uncontrollably.
Before the crowd could react, Ling Yingfeng placed his foot on Liu Fenghuang"s back from mid-air. Everyone could hear the sound of bones crushing. Liu Yunzheng turned completely pale. "Stop!" He was about to dash up the platform when the voice of the presiding officer resounded. "Sect Leader Liu! I"m sure you know the compet.i.tion rules!"
This man was in the later stages of the Core Forming Realm. His voice was naturally very intimidating. The rules of the compet.i.tion permitted no intervention by anyone unless a compet.i.tor admitted defeat or was thrown down the platform. Yet, right now, Ling Yingfeng had sealed off the Wind Floating Platform. Obviously, he wanted to torment Liu Fenghuang.
Although Xiao Chen did not know any emnity between the two, he knew that Ling Yingfeng was simply showing off to him. With every attack on Liu Fenghuang, he would smirk coldly at Xiao Chen. He wanted him to witness Liu Fenghuang"s excruciating torments, to avenge his brother Ling Yuxuan at the Skygale Sect in the Human World.
"Stop at once, Ling Yingfeng! Come after me tomorrow if you have the guts!" It was Xiao Chen who had roared out this time. Ling Yingfeng continued smirking and pretended not to hear. He unleashed another fist on Liu Fenghuang"s abdomen.
"Puff!" Liu Fenghuang spew a mouthful of blood. She could not even talk, let alone defend herself. As she tottered unsteadily, Ling Yingfeng gave her another kick. She soared backward and again, dashed herself against the periphery light screen, bouncing back.
"Stop! We admit defeat, admit defeat!" Liu Yunzheng"s enraged eyes were about to tear open. The rules of the compet.i.tion, however, stipulated that only a compet.i.tor could admit defeat. The others had no right to speak for them.
At this moment, Ling Yingfeng did not give Liu Fenghuang even a chance to admit defeat. He poked wildly around her body and sealed her speech acupuncture point.
He smirked coldly at Xiao Chen and suddenly started to hit Liu Fenghuang" major acupoints. He was trying to destroy the foundation of her cultivation and maim her for life.
Liu Fenghuang"s face showed extreme pain. She kept throwing out blood but could not cry out. The presiding officers on the platform frowned. "Should we go down to intervene?"
Yet the rules of the compet.i.tion forbid any external intervention. This rule had never been broken before in the past century. Just as they were still hesitating, a dragon roar suddenly resounded. Two blue ice dragons soared up to the platform and instantly broke through the barrier formation at the periphery. A figure streaked up.
It was Xiao Chen. He executed another Water Dragon Roar at Ling Yingfeng. His other arm grabbed Liu Fenghuang and they soared down the platform together. Once below, he immediately imparted True Energy into her body.
Liu Fenghuang"s body was now drenched in blood as she collapsed limp into his arms. Her breath was extremely shallow. Liu Yunzheng soon came and took out a jade bottle from his robe linings. He poured all the pills into her mouth.
"Oh, no! She is too badly injured! Get Senior Sister Luo here!" He glanced in all directions but could find no trace of Luo Shangyan anywhere.
"Miss Luo is in the palace! She isn"t out yet!"
"Go back to the palace!"
Right now, Xiao Chen could not be bothered about the duels. He left quickly with Liu Yunzheng to the palace to find Luo Shangyan. Luo Shangyan was surprised. "Why was she so badly injured?"
"Don"t ask, Miss Luo! Save my daughter, quick!"
Luo Shangyan did not ask more. She started to treat her. After four hours, Liu Fenghuang recovered a little. By now, all the others had returned to the palace. Unquestionably, the Zhou State must have suffered a crushing defeat today. Even Gu Hanxuan had not beat Ling Yingfeng.
Chu Lingjiao returned from nowhere. Liu Yunzheng was too concerned about Liu Fenghuang"s injury to question and reprimand her. Xiao Chen, however, could vaguely guess her schemes a little.
Night was falling. Luo Shangyan was too exhausted and went back to rest. Xiao Chen continued staying by Liu Fenghuang"s bed.
"Junior Brother Han... will I still be able to practice in the future... ?" After Luo Shangyan"s afternoon treatment, Liu Fenghuang had recovered somewhat. She was still unable to mobilize her inner strength. She fell into his arms and wept.
Xiao Chen caressed her back gently and said in a soft voice, "You will. Don"t let your thoughts go wild. Senior Sister Luo will come again. She says it will only take one or two days to treat you." His eyes gleamed coldly as he said this. Ling Yingfeng, I will let you pay for this!
Liu Fenghuang continued to sob. After a long time, the door suddenly opened. Luo Shangyan stood by the door, staring blankly at them. Liu Fenghuang quickly pushed Xiao Chen aside upon seeing her enter.
Xiao Chen got up and said, "Senior Sister Luo, sorry to trouble you." Luo Shangyan nodded but did not speak. Xiao Chen continued, "I must return now. I won"t be back." He stared at Liu Fenghuang again before leaving the room.
After leaving, he did not return to the lodge at once. Instead, he went to Chu Lingjiao"s place.
"Where did you go in the day?"
Chu Lingjiao smiled lightly. "What"s wrong? Are you aching for your dear Senior Sister Liu?"
"You have been her Senior Sister for years. Aren"t you concerned about her at all?"
Chu Lingjiao smiled faintly, wiping the sword in her hand. "I am concerned about the divine zither. Why should I care about her?"
Xiao Chen said coldly, "You deliberately disappeared today so that she could fight in your stead? And get injured?"
Chu Lingjiao gave a t.i.tter. She seemed to have overheard the most amusing joke. She laughed. "Let her fight in my stead? You think I"m as crazy as you, to play such childish tricks?"
"Hmmph!" Xiao Chen flicked his robe sleeve angrily and was about to go, when Chu Lingjiao called out after him. "There"s one day more. You"d better not try anything stupid. Follow all my plans."
"You don"t have to remind me!" Xiao Chen remarked coldly and left.